In 2019 I went on a trip to Italy with my family. I was born in Milan and lived my first year and a half there, but I had not been back since then and I have no conscious memory of it. So it was a personally powerful experience for me, as well as the joy of being surrounded by stunning architecture from the ancient world. Our travel plans lasted 18 days, and I was fortunate to experience numerous cities and regions of Italy. Since Paladin Dream is inspired by medieval Europe, I also imagined the world modeled after places in Italy that I had visited.
Cathedrals
With The Vatican as the center of Catholicism, Italy has many beautiful churches and cathedrals. We toured the rooftop of the famous Duomo di Milan, as well as visited other religious buildings in different cities. While churches had similarities, they each had their own unique character. The Duomo had rooftop stairwells reminiscent of the iconic level leading up to the battle with Dracula in Castlevania. A more somber church in Naples had a memorable crypt below the sanctuary. Florence and Sienna had more brightly colored churches. I wanted to capture the sense of history and respect I felt being in these areas, which led to some creative choices constructing Adrielian Abbey.
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region with lots of rolling hills, farms, and home to the incredible hilltop city of Sienna. While driving through Tuscany we stopped to tour a small castle town that felt right out of Dragon Quest. The warm, lush scenery of Tuscany inspired the land surrounding the abbey, and I wanted to share the sense of tranquility and peace I experienced in this part of the journey.
Bologna, Florence, and Naples
These three cities are all very diverse, but elements of each inspired design choices with Nazarfang and the surrounding area. Bologna used to be surrounded by a wall, and parts of it still stand today. The walls of Bologna inspired the walls of Nazarfang, which are heavily fortified and divide the city into different districts. Florence is a more artistic city, which still gives the impression of the Italian renaissance period. The Greatway District in Nazarfang draws influences from Florence, with its affluent hotels and shops, and elegant streets. Naples today is worse off sociology-economically than northern Italy, and the streets are less safe. (At one point in Naples a man on the street asked my aging father if he wanted to buy illegal drugs.) Naples also has underground tunnels, as well as an impressive fortress we visited, and these sights inspired the Underbelly District, Palace District, sewers, and catacombs.
Gressoney / The Alps
Gressoney is a sparsely populated village high up in the Italian alps mountain range. Staying overnight in a mountain lodge in Gressoney overlooking the town was extremely relaxing. The region is home to small farms, as well as enormous mountains that are too rugged for civilization. I even observed little adventurer-constructed paths up the steep cliffs that looked barely safe enough to walk on. Gressoney inspired the village of Duskmont, and the mountain wilderness above.
Pompei and Herculanium
Pompei and Herculanium are cities that were destroyed by a volcano, and contain ruins of a lost civilization. The lost city later in the game is inspired by the remains of these cities and the feeling of abandonment from visiting these areas.
Visualizing the Dream
Originally my design for Paladin Dream was to have 3 main regions in the game, including the area around Adrielian Abbey, the area around Nazarfang, and the mountain waste. Compared to being in Texas with its modern buildings, enormous superhighways, and broad plain, Italy felt like a very compact area with tight spaces. To make the exploration feel more European I kept the same feeling of close quarters when exploring the cities and countryside. With Italy’s gargoyle statues and religious themed paintings with devils, my real-life travel experiences helped to transform my vision and create an aesthetic where a story about a paladin felt natural and believable.
Thank you all for your ongoing support of this project! I really appreciate it 🙏
All the best,
Matthew
HitherYon Games